Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1887-04-22
ON THE CONGO.
A Land Reported to be Flow
ing With Milk and Honey.
An Explorers Account Of what He Saw
in the Interior Of Africa.

miles long, are rich if not richer than
the main land, says Lieut.. Taunt in his
report concerning his recent expedition
to Africa. As rule, both maiul md
and islands arc covered with dense
forests, in which are to be found the
rubber gum copal, p In and other
j valuable trees Ga the m inland are
casional stretches ofimmense plateaus,
which the elephant, buffalo and other
game use for feeding grounds. The
Islands above Bangaa are covered with
thousands Of h valuable oil ptm trees.
The Congo abounds in most excellent
food fish, which form staple article of
food on the upper river. Tic natives
seldom eat the fish when fresh. but
smoke or dry them TAe man-eating
crocodile is met with throughout the
river, and in the region of the islands
and sandbanks the hippopotami are
fouod. have frequently met herds Of
fifteen or twenty of these beasts playing
in the river If disturbed in their
breeding season they will attack passing
canoes and sometimes steamers. One of
the state launches has been badly in
iured by the tusks of a hippo.
OF the mineral wealth Of the Congo
valley there can be no question. The
natives of all sections possess iron and
copper in large quantities. The knives
and spears are made of the iron and dec
orated with copper. Their brass orna-
ments are made from the matakos that
they purchase in trade from the whites.
l saw no gold or silver; the natives do
not place any value on these metals. 1t
has been reported that the Arabs have
found gold in small quantities in the in
terror, above Stanley Falls.
Tne natives of the lower Congo arc
armed with flint-loc1 muskets; but they
are almost harmless. They have no idea
Of craftsmanship, and it is the exoep-
ton when man is killed in their tribai
wars. IN October t'sT'
NJ I3auza Mateix6 ~ / WIS
camp with nearls 600 q Aiasasos
eassls 9aaa osxae msg1 Fl 9 s'.s'.s.
\. - opla wsfs S
one other white man, camped as peace
fully among these 600 natives as | could
have done at Vivi. And again, one of
the English mission is living alone at
Lutete, and has been so for months, the
nearest white man being fifty miles from
him. The agents of the state never
travel with guard in the lower country,
and the state limits its caravans to
enough people for the transportation of
their camp equipage only. As far as
could learn, there is no case on record
during the last two years where white
mans caravan has been molested on the
lower river.
The Baskungas are superstitious to
the last degree; they rely for protection
on the fetch charms, and the medicine
men of the tribes have great influence.
On the death of any person of note il
the village the poison test is used
The medicine man designates the mar
or woman suspected of causing thc
death by charm of witchcraft. Th'
poison is administered, and if it acts
, as an emetic that signifies innocence; il
on the contrary it kills, the guilty one i
punished.
In some instances the laws of tn
: Baskungas are very stringent. Stealing
from each other is punished by death
Fighting or disorder in the marke
places is seriously punished, and if
frearm is used the punishment is death
The market place, which usual
covers some acres of ground, is used Q
the p acc of execution, and it is not a
unusual sight to meet skeleton hane
:. ing and bleaching in the sun oa the out
skirts of the market, or to find a broke
musket driven into the ground, whic
marks the spot where man has bee
i buried alive to his throat, his brain
dashed out, then covered and th
+, musket driven into his body All tn
to serve as a warning to others not
: use firearms in the market place.
The native food Of the lower Cons
= valley is principally peanuts and ch
quango (madc from the manioc root
: On market days fowl, eggs, goat AZ
! pork may be bought, and Gin small qua
titles sweet potatoes, peas, beans, onio
:. and bananas.
AS a lule ] did not find the low
. Congo people Incorporate ; the natl
drink is malalu or palm wine, whic
when fresh, is not at all intoxicatin
. They are fond of rum and gin, and the
articles will go much further in ira
= than either cloth or beads. The natl
: caravans demand rum or gin as a pc
~ tion of their pay.
!. The women are slaves, there being
= marriage laws.
j. Above Stanley Pool, and more r
- ticularly above the mouth of the Kas
river the natives are an entirely difIerC
= race, both physically and intellectual
a The greater part of these peop!e
"a traders, and rich; they own many slav
in fact, a chief populates his villai
v with slaves, the freemen of the villa
being the members Of his own family.
singular fact is that slaves can in II
own slaves; in fact, the men are m
like retainers than slaves; the won
bear that burden.